The Black Sky
by Manihot esculenta
Summary: The Dark Lord has always been the prime evil responsible for ravaging much of Rune Midgard, until he was vanquished into the depths of Hel. Unknown to most, the Dark Lord never left, the Dark Lord never died, his soul still haunts the kingdom, searching for a viable host in order to physically manifest himself once more. Fortunately, he is not the only one searching for a vessel.
1. The Silent Ones

Chapter I - The Silent Ones

"What did you do for you to deserve such suffering and death?"

A female voice said as she knelt beside a lifeless knight's body, her voice slightly shaking from rage and disbelief. She inspected the corpse's armor, it was intact, unbent, and mostly undamaged except for the leather straps keeping the steel plates together. The opposite can be said for the dead knight's body which was horribly incinerated, baked within the steel husk covering it, and the dead man's skull charred black. Needless to say, he did not die quickly, he was burned alive, a horrible death, and he can longer be identified, save for those who truly knew the torched knight.

"Helga, we should head back to the barracks and get some rest, it's almost midnight." a familiar voice said from her back, it was her commander. "He was brave and did his duty as well as he could, now it has ended," the man said, a knight in his forties, as he bowed down and tapped his mailed hand on the kneeling knight's shoulder.

Helga Rosewood rose and signaled for the body to be taken to the Temple in the northeast part of the city for proper burial rites. The laborers lifted the body and as they did, a part of his burned flesh took to the wind, ashes flew with the kind breeze of the night. Helga and her commander proceeded to walk. "He was burned," the young knight muttered under her breath, still shaking ever so slightly.

The veteran knight heard Helga and looked at her, he noticed the anger through her eyes but ignored it and proceeded to look forward once more, as they were still walking. "Aye, he was," he said as if declaring it, "by a Silent One undoubtedly." He noticed the young Helga look at him quickly and briefly but she too proceeded to look forward once more. The veteran knight noticed this, he continued to walk with her, moments later he proceeded to ask, "Rasper, was he named?"

"Rasper Manrow, one of the finest knights I've ever known and a friend," Helga replied as the wind blew somewhat harder, hard enough to send her short golden locks flying with the wind, like the dead knight's ashed flesh. "He's dead, torched, and on his way to the temple to be buried. His sword was still sheathed, if he had his blade drawn, I'm certain he'll still be standing, his ability with the sword and shield remains unmatched by most, even now."

"I concur…" the veteran knight said, but he choked on his words. He stopped walking and found himself looking at Helga's fierce blue eyes.

Helga stopped, one step ahead of her superior, "What is it?"

"He was a great warrior, but with a tendency to lose his temper when he fails to get what he wants."

"What do you mean by that?"

"You do know he's famous here in Prontera not because of his ability to swing a sword, no?"

"I've heard rumors."

"I believe them to be true."

"How can you even say that? Tell me you aren't thinking of-"

"Aye, I'm thinking it right now," the veteran knight interrupted as he looked at Helga's eyes sternly, his black hair and rugged beard made his calm face flare up, like a face of a fierce knight in battle, "Rasper Manrow is no honorable man, he is known to extort coin from unwary people."

"But-"

"I know it, I've had my eyes on him for about a month now. Make no mistake though, Helga, what happened to him is still a crime and I am set to find out who did it specifically. Now walk with me again!"

Her commander started walking, now with a faster pace, she followed and muttered under her breath again, "Murderers! Scum!"

"Helga, your mind isn't sound because of the rage you're feeling but the people who we suspect to have killed him aren't savages."

"Apologies, but assassins should-"

"No, Helga, not assassins. Sages," the veteran knight sighed, "You really aren't thinking straight right now."

"Sages?"

"Yes, the Silent Ones are sages, assassins never burn their enemies alive."

"Forgive me."

The two knights continued to walk through the dark streets of the Capital, no one has said a word to each other yet. Helga Rosewood took her steps with her head down, shamed by the fact that her blind rage clouded her mind, and a clouded mind is no use to a knight when strategizing. One the other hand, the veteran knight walked with his chin proudly raised, a true commander and a prime example of an ideal knight with a sound mind, sound body, and sound steel. They continued walking, as if patrolling the city, but for Helga, the silence was deafening. She wanted to speak, but feared that she might say something incorrect again, she stayed her tongue.

As they came near the northwest part of the city, the barracks, the veteran knight spoke, "I feel compelled to tell you…" The two knights continued walking, Helga instinctively faced her commander and they stopped a few paces from the barracks entrance.

"The Silent Ones are sages, but not ordinary ones."

Helga's eyes and face show a strong hint of confusion, and her eyes widened out of curiosity."

"It is said that they can vanish in plain sight and remain hidden so ably that a company of wizards and priests will have an even easier time looking for an elite assassin in hiding."

"Are you saying that," Helga grasped the hilt of her sword standing ready, "he might be here?"

"Most likely, now hands off your sword. You wouldn't want one of them setting their eyes on you."

Helga heeded her commander and stood down, "They can set their eyes on me, I'll set my steel through their belly," Helga said in a menacing tone which made her commander smile and nod.

"I know you will, but we need to have a plan if we ever hope to catch them."

Helga nodded in agreement, clearly calmer than before.

"They might as well be murderers, but they are sages still, and if we are to find them, find out what they're after," the veteran knight paused and continued, "then we best keep our minds open and clear and allow ourselves to see through their eyes."

Helga, once again, nodded in agreement.

The veteran knight looked up the dark sky before the two of them entered the barracks. "Rest now my child," Gallard Rosewood told the young knight, her daughter.

Helga nodded weakly, touched by how her father's voice sounded so sweet that moment. They parted ways, her father went to his chambers, and she went to hers.

As soon as Helga was inside her room, she started getting off her armor's straps. Starting from the gauntlet, to the epaulets, then the breast plate. As soon as she was finished with those, she sat down her bed to remove her greaves, and then she stripped the remaining tunic of leather. She was a young lady of nineteen years, and a fine one. Her golden hair, blue eyes as cold as ice, and fair skin reflected that of her mother who died birthing her. Some say her looks are unfitting for a knight, as combat is not a fitting role for a beauty like her, a ripe young woman. Her father, Gallard Rosewood even thought so, the smell of leather and the sound of clashing steel is not fit for her precious daughter, or so he thought at first. Gallard Rosewood may look to be a brutish knight, but he was also wise, he knew that if her daughter is to survive, truly survive, then she must be able to protect herself and others even should hard times come, and he knows that they will come.

Helga finished removing her armor, and in place of leather and steel plates, she wrapped herself in fine cotton and mantle, a fine tunic that made her look like just another commoner, a very fine commoner. She laid down on her soft bed, her head bouncing lightly from the pillow below her head and neck, and she tried to close her eyes.

Time passed by, and her eyes still closed, but she is far from asleep. The thought of these so called Silent Ones kept her awake, the more she thought of them, the more her blood rushed up her head and she felt light headed after a while, small droplets of sweat formed on her forehead and her neck moistened. A cold gust of wind entered her open window and filled the room, and she felt blissful, her mind cleared and the sweat on her head and neck dried up. Helga's eyelids slowly shut, but before falling into deep sleep, she muttered as if expecting them, "Nightmares."


	2. The Hound of Hell

Chapter II - The Hound of Hell

Helga woke up late the day after and told her father about her nightmare, one that she expected, but what she did not expect and forget are the details. A shadow near the west gate of Prontera just before entering the woods, a shadow that has neither nose nor mouth, but she knew that it has face for she could see its eyes, staring at her, piercing through her. Her father dismissed it, and reminded her that nightmares are the way of the mind to test the body when the body cannot fight back. Helga nodded in acceptance, but deep inside her mind, and in her heart, something seemed to stir up her insides, and she felt nauseous.

"Come Helga," Gallard commanded as he held the door of the meeting room for her who then entered with haste. Gallard gently closed the door afterwards.

Already inside the room are three others, a male sage, a female wizard, and a male commoner. The three were speaking but stopped and greeted the two knights with their eyes. Gallard smiled at them, Helga did too.

"Greetings everyone, I'm sorry for having arrived a few moments late. This is Helga Rosewood and I'm her father, Gallard Rosewood."

"I'm Elexander Lors," said the sage, nodding with respect.

"I'm Karra Rivers," said the wizard, with an amiable face and a smile.

Elexander is a tall young man, nineteen years of age, his locks played in the colors of yellow and brown. He is considered handsome by many but does not look very dignified and has a face with the look of arrogance. Karra, on the other hand, is even younger at eighteen years of age, she has the commoner's look but attractive still. She likes to tie her brown hair to a tail behind her head. The two looked to be familiar with each other.

The commoner was the last to introduce himself, "I'm Jorge, I witnessed the knight's death, Rasper Manrow."

Helga, shocked, quickly turned her head towards witness, her spirits raised yet again. She was surprised to find out that this was not a knight's congregation, it was more of an investigation, which meant to her that her father is taking the murder of Rasper Manrow more seriously than she expected. The thought seemed to rob her of her nausea, and she felt better.

Gallard started the discussion, he said that they have very limited information and thanked Elex and Karra for their time. He knows that they will be of great help in solving the mystery of Rasper Manrow's death considering that the knight was highly suspected to be killed by magic. He reiterates that while Rasper is a corrupted knight and probably deserved rightful punishment, he should not have been summarily executed.

"Jorge," Gallard called the attention of the commoner, "did you see with your own eyes the murder of a knight, Rasper Manrow?"

"Yes."

"Tell us everything."

Jorge took a deep breath and spoke, he stated that while he is willing to cooperate, he made it clear that he is not fond of the murdered knight. He said that Rasper was patrolling the streets late that evening and as the knight passed through his house, a dark figure killed Rasper by hurling a fireball, burning the knight alive. After the ordeal, the dark figure looked at him and said it was a man, he was paralyzed with fear and wanted to hide but his body would not move. He claimed that he cannot clearly see the shadowy figure's face, but confirms it is indeed a human and is wearing robes of some sort colored with that of wet earth.

Karra was the first to ask the witness, "The culprit, did it look like he was walking or running while casting the spell?"

"I'm not so sure what you're referring to, about this 'casting of spells', but I heard nothing that night save for the ghastly screams of pain from the burning knight," Jorge paused and continued, "the killer moved as if it was throwing a stone."

"Then it is a sage, male. Only sages such as I are trained to cast spells while moving," Elexander said with a loud voice before letting out a sigh of disbelief and shaking his head. "A mage is far too inept to conjure a fireball while moving," he continued.

"I agree with Elexander, wizards will always opt to stand still in order to focus our energies when casting," Karra said while looking at all of the people in the room.

"And why is that?" Helga asked out of curiosity.

"To cast the strongest possible spell at the shortest possible time," Elexander and Karra said in unison, as they looked at each other and smiled.

"So we have sage that cast a fireball without speaking, a Silent One," Gallard declared in his slightly booming voice.

At this point, Helga finally opened her mouth and asked, "How do we hunt him down?"

"Not hunt him down, we must take him alive for questioning," Gallard responded to her daughter, "and we need not capture the same Silent One that killed Rasper Manrow," he clarified.

"Yes, we need information from a captive if we want to get to the root of this issue," Elexander concurred with Gallard and looked at everyone in the room. Everyone agreed with him and nodded. Save for Jorge, the witness, for he did not really care about anything they were discussing, his task is already done. Elexander noticed his indifference which prompted Gallard to give Jorge a small pouch filled with silver coins before letting the witness out the room on his own.

"How do we know where they are?" Helga asked.

Gallard looked at his daughter, then looked down as he inhaled and said, "Reports I reviewed last night said that a number of murders and sabotages have been committed in Al de Baran," the veteran knight paused and looked at her daughter before continuing, "the report also said that there is enough evidence gathered that places the responsibility to the Silent Ones."

"We need more details regarding these evidences," Elexander suggested. Karra agreed, curiosity got the best of them.

"A seal or symbol was drawn on the wall of the location of a certain crime which looked like a red rhomboid with a red circle in the middle, a red eye, if you may. There were also some witnesses to this same event, all of them were surprisingly quite far the place of interest. Those who were near claim to have seen nothing."

"Rasper was not the first victim, and he won't be the last," Helga muttered under her breath.

"We start our search in Al de Baran tomorrow, prepare yourselves for now," Gallard said in a commanding voice.

Helga tried to insist that they go to Al de Baran as soon as possible, however, Gallard told her and the two others that they cannot promptly go there the same day and abandon their posts. He added that it is already early in the afternoon and he needs to prepare notes to officially delegate the role of commander to someone and to give that person specific instructions before leaving. Finally, he instructs the three to get to know each other for tomorrow will be a very tiring day, and working with friends is better than working with strangers.

Helga, Elexander, and Karra made their way to the central fountain of Prontera. On their way, they talked about themselves, Karra told Helga that she and Elexander knew each other since they were mages and were good acquaintances. The statement by the wizard made the sage awfully happy enough to send him smiling. Helga noticed the way Elexander looks at Karra, but the latter doesn't seem to reciprocate, and she felt sorry for the sage. Karra also asked about Rasper Manrow, the torched knight, but Helga didn't say much, "He was my friend, we were knighted together at the same ceremony, we went to a few small missions together as well," Helga told them. Karra and Elexander went silent for they saw sadness and anger in Helga's eyes after saying that.

Helga left the two to themselves and went on patrolling instead, she thought that a series of random small talks with strangers would not help her find her friend's murderer. She walked and walked, and she found herself directly below the arch of the west gate of Prontera, blocking whatever those that aim to pass, merchants looking for profit, travelers looking for entertainment, or adventurers looking for soft bed. Each and everyone of them looked at her with a hint of irritation, her blocking of the gate is neither a welcome sight nor gesture, but her pupils were dilated and her body was paralyzed. For the shadow in her nightmare, not far from where she is, she can see it. And it can see her.

The shadow turned its back and walked away, but Helga snapped out of her state and followed it in pursuit, drawing her sword in the process. She cautiously looked in the woods for hours and found herself in the rocky passes leading to Mount Mjolnir, where large beetles congregate, those with mandibles that can crush a man's leg. There she found the shadow once again, a lot clearer and no more than a few fathoms from her, she started to sweat and shake. It was a sage, male, clad in dark brown and red regalia, standing with his back turned from her, gently holding and inspecting some of the beetles. From there on, she can stab him in the back, but her body would not move. Her mind told her to charge forward and cut him down, but her body would not follow. She has never felt so robbed of conviction before. If the person in front of her were a common thief or any other lowlife, she would feel no fear. Unfortunately for her, this was not the case, for the person in front of her was none of those she had previously tackled, this one was no common thief, this one was no lowlife. The sage in front of her was something else and Helga knew it, because this time around, the person she was planning to subdue is more than capable of taking her life.

Finally the sage spoke, breaking the silence, "Do you know what these creatures are called?"

Helga, confused and still shaking, answered, "Horns."

"Magnificent aren't they?" the sage said as he let the huge beetle go and faced the knight. His face was gentle and emotionless at the same time, his short black hair and a stubble of beard also added a flavor of ruggedness within that face, but it was mostly emotionless still.

"Don't move."

"You're afraid," the sage said as he slowly crept forward to her, short steps at a time.

"I can-"

"You can't. If you can, then I should be dead by now," he interrupted.

Helga, clearly terrified by now, held his sword and raised it with her shaking hands, "Halt!"

"I've no quarrel with you, and you have none with me."

"You killed my friend."

Then finally, the sage stopped, he was now a foot away from the tip of Helga's sword.

Helga and the sage locked their eyes against each other, the former completely robbed of courage.

"I did," the sage told her as his right hand slowly moved for his belt, but before he was able to reach for his knife, a strong booming voice shouted.

"Helga!"

Gallard exclaimed, charging on with his mighty peco which prompted the sage to quickly step aside and avoid being trampled. The veteran knight was now between Helga and the sage, a father protecting his precious daughter from an uncertain threat, if that is what it really was.

"Explain yourself, sage."

"You already know everything. Is there any more to explain?"

"He killed Rasper," Helga told her father. It took Gallard a few moments before he nodded subtly and scoffed. He affixed his eyes with the sage's, who returned the favor.

"State your name."

"Kerberos."

"A true Silent One, but fashioning yourselves with names of mythical demons won't make you more feared than any other cutthroat in the country."

"Oh but we don't want to be feared more than-"

"What do you want?"

"For the world to change," Kerberos said with a brief smile.

"And how do you plan on achieving that change, by murdering extortionists?"

"It's a start, and we're doing what you armor-clad folks are simply trying."

"Oh please, Kerberos, I know people like you-"

"There are no people like us. You one the other hand, people who play the righteous and the good, a delusional figure of charity, I know a lot of people like you."

"Stop judging us like you know who we truly are."

"Funny, but I will once you stop judging us."

"We're wasting time here, come Helga."

"Where? What about him!?" Helga exclaimed as she pointed her sword to the sage, "What about Rasper!?"

"There's no bringing him back, Helga. We have been assigned a far more urgent mission."

"Then let's arrest-"

"The King summons us, and we need to talk, it is a matter of great consequence," Gallard slowed and lowered his voice before letting out a sigh of disappointment, he turned his head towards Kerberos and said, "We cannot arrest him, not now, not yet."

Helga froze in disbelief, she did not know what to do.

Kerberos, intrigued by what Gallard said, wrinkled his forehead for a brief moment.

Afterwards, he simply stared at Gallard, who returned the favor.

"Follow me!" Gallard told Helga as he tugged his peco causing it to turn around, "That is a command."

Helga had no other choice, Gallard may be her father but he was also her commander. "I'm not done with you yet, sage," Helga said as she took a last look at Kerberos before venturing off with her commander, but with her shaking voice, the sage was unfazed.


	3. The Great Demon

Chapter III - The Great Demon

Kerberos looked at the two knights as they left, he thought of the young knight, Helga. He found her to be very beautiful although far too rash for his tastes. He started walking the other direction, opposite the way Helga and her father went. Suddenly, a thick black smoke emerged from below him, it smelled like dust. Kerberos hated it, but he knew what it is, a portal, he is being summoned. He closed his eyes for a few seconds and sensed the calm breeze of the foothills of Mount Mjolnir, the sound of nature. Suddenly, it was gone, and all he felt was the chilling sensation as if he was in a very deep cave. He opened his eyes, and there he saw three other sages clad in the same colors as his, all of them within an ominous room.

The four looked at each other, greeting themselves in silence. The dark room is small and has only one light source, a white candle burning with a bright white light standing on the middle of a ruined round table in the center of the room. There were no chairs and the walls were made of bricks with a shade of both gray and green. Iblis, Lilith, Strix, and Kerberos approached the round table at the center of the room and stared at the bright light. It hurt their eyes for a moment, but when it did not sting their vision anymore, a demonic voice greeted them.

"Ah, finally the red eye is complete once again, Iblis, Lilith, Strix, and Kerberos."

Iblis is a male sage with a bald head, his eyes are brown and is a sight to behold for he has a visage and body of a brute, he has scars all over his body including his face. He is the eldest of all other Silent Ones. Lilith and Strix, on the other hand, are twins and almost impossible to tell apart. Both of them have red hair flowing up to their breasts, blue eyes that mimicked the color of water from the purest of seas, and physiques of a seductress that even a holy man may find enticing. The twins are almost the same age as Kerberos at nineteen years of age. All of them continued staring at the candle's white light, remaining true to their namesake, silent.

"I sense a great evil descending upon us, the Dark Lord himself. Yes, I have sensed him once again, after all these years of thinking and hoping him dead."

"I thought I have killed him, but I guess no one kills a demon of his caliber for good."

"His soul simply lingers," the demonic voice continued, echoing throughout the dark room, "and now he has found another host."

"The Dark Lord is in possession of the most powerful wizard in the world, the King's adviser, Marcus Balmorus."

Silence fell upon the room once more, the four sages stared at one another, wondering what might be in store for them this time. Their master could not have summoned them all together for nothing, but from what the demonic voice has told them, the path seems clear.

"Kerberos," the demonic voice called his attention, "you've proven yourself quite worthy of being a Silent One."

Kerberos stared in the white flame, more focused. He fidgeted with his left hand, scraping his thumb and index finger against each other.

"However, you need to take our priorities more seriously, and one knight with petty follies isn't one of those priorities I'm speaking of."

Small droplets of sweat began to appear on Kerberos' forehead and temples. He swallowed hard and opened his mouth to speak, "I needed to."

"Silence, Kerberos!" Iblis exclaimed, still looking at the candle's white flame.

Kerberos looked at Iblis and replied with a question, "Are we not supposed to defend those who can't defend themselves?"

"Don't you dare-"

"Iblis, Lilith, Strix," the demonic voice said, interrupting Iblis, "leave us," he continued in a voice that almost whispered in the wind. At that instant, black smoke and dust enveloped the three others, and they were gone, leaving only Kerberos alone with the company of the candle with a bright white light.

The lone sage inhaled deeply, as if preparing for something, sweat started to run down his cheeks, and he wiped it off with his sleeve. He thought of what is going to happen next, thoughts came and went from his mind, but he settled for one, and he tried to prepare himself to hear it from his master's demonic voice. He wiped the sweat from his cheek again, and then on his forehead, the sweat made his sleeves wet, and made the color darker.

The demonic voice sighed and spoke, "I saw something in you, something Iblis, Lilith, and Strix will never have."

The demonic voice paused, as if waiting for a reaction from Kerberos, who remained silent instead. He found his master's words mysterious.

"Kerberos, you are bound for greatness, but you will not be a hero. You will find little affection, and a lot of hatred. Many will not understand you, and many more will not accept who you are. However, let no one change who you are, for you are bound for more than what I will ever hope to complete."

The white flame vanished from the candle as if it was blown away, and darkness enveloped the room. Kerberos panicked for a moment, his master's words echoed in his head, the words lifted his spirits but his sweat continued to drip slowly on his face. He was still afraid. Suddenly, he heard footsteps echoing in the room as if someone is approaching. His heart began to beat faster as the footsteps sounded nearer and nearer until the footsteps stopped. He felt a strange presence behind him, and his heart beat even faster than it did seconds ago, he felt light headed. He looked behind him a quick fashion, and with the same quick fashion, his eyes widened. He took three steps behind him until he fell down on his back.

It looked like a man and a beast combined, horns protruded from its head, a glorious white mane covered its neck and shoulder, its feet cloven like a ruminant animal, and golden brown fur covered the entirety of its body. "Go," it said to Kerberos with a demonic voice.

The young sage was stunned, and can only whisper to himself, "It can't be."

A bright flash of light blinded him, he instinctively swung his arms in front of his head, and when it was over, he laid them down and opened his eyes. He saw Iblis, Lilith, and Strix in front of him, back from wherever they came from, if they left at all and if the vision was not an illusion. The three stood behind the round table with the candle still burning with its white light, while Kerberos, still sitting on the cold floor, obviously stunned. Iblis went around the table, grabbed him by the shoulder, and forcibly raised him up to stand.

"What-"

"Now you've seen him too," Iblis said to Kerberos, unintentionally interrupting the latter.

"There is no turning back now," Lilith told Kerberos, who looked at the ground, and then to Lilith, then to Strix, and finally to Iblis.

Kerberos in his shaking voice asked bald sage, "Was that, really him?"

Iblis replied with a nod.

"The Great Demon and the Dark Lord battled for hours in the great castle of the undead, Glast Heim," Strix spoke as she approached Kerberos, "the Dark Lord used to have dominion over the undead in that place, but he wanted more, he wanted to sap whatever is left of their mind but the Great Demon wouldn't have it. He told the Dark Lord that the undead are tortured souls with only one purpose, to redeem themselves, and he wouldn't stand to have the poor souls mindlessly follow anyone for any purpose other than the one they have."

"And?" Kerberos asked, wanting more from Strix.

"The battle claimed much from our master, the Great Demon, but he was able to destroy the Dark Lord's physical form-"

"But not his soul, and now he has found his way inside Marcus Balmorus, his preferred host," Kerberos said, lifting off from what she has told her. Strix smiled at him.

"We must kill Marcus before the Dark Lord takes complete control over him. With the vessel gone, the Dark Lord will not be able to physically manifest himself," Iblis said in a serious and heavy tone, he took a deep breath and continued, "the master will take the four of us in the King's Hall in the Capital, be prepared, he also told me to tell all of you that he sensed fourteen entities in the hall, including the King and Marcus Balmorus."

"Wait, how do we strike, do you have a plan?" Lilith asked.

"There will be at least twelve guards stationed, you and your sister shall keep them at bay but try not to kill anyone," Iblis replied, to which Lilith and Strix gave him a look of agreement, "I shall strike down Marcus."

"Hear me, Iblis," Lilith called his attention, "Marcus Balmorus may be old and probably senile, but he is still quite formidable."

Kerberos looked at Iblis and opened his mouth to say something, but before any sort of sound came from him the bald sage looked at him, as if trying to pierce him.

"You, Kerberos, shall be assigned the most difficult task," Iblis paused for a moment before approaching the young sage, he placed his hands on his shoulder, "keep the King alive at any costs."

Kerberos nodded as a reply.

"Careful now young one, if for any reason the Dark Lord is able to manifest himself, you must be ready. He will surely kill the King first."

Kerberos nodded once more, and then swallowed hard.

Iblis tapped Kerberos' shoulder, trying to shake out whatever doubts the young sage has in his head. Lilith and Strix prepared themselves, Kerberos grabbed the hilt of his knife, grasping it very tightly. Soon enough for them, a puff of black smoke and dust appeared around them, slowly enveloping the four as they closed their eyes. They allowed the black void to enter their mind, showing nothing but darkness, but it was blissful for all of them. Lilith and Strix believed this peaceful feeling to be a testament to their master's wit, small things that make a lot of difference, unlike the sort of portals opened by acolytes, monks, and priests which are horribly nauseating for the twins. Iblis took this time to meditate, for even a second of meditation could provide him useful insight and strength to press on and fight against the greatest of odds. Kerberos, on the other hand, used the darkness to contemplate which spell should he cast second, his obvious plan of action was to encase the King inside a Safety Wall, but he could not clearly decide what he should do next. It matters not anymore though, the darkness in their eyes and minds slowly turned gray, and then white.

Kerberos was the first one to open his eyes, the first thing he saw were knights charging towards them and crusaders preparing to defend the King. Lastly, he saw two faces which seem familiar.


End file.
